Saviors
by Culix
Summary: Not one week after Kefka's death, Setzer and Sabin, with a few changes, find themselves swept off to a new world, in need of saving. Some elements are borrowed from Rainhawke's Hawk and Fox and the title is tenative.
1. Chapter 1: Young at Heart

Saviors

Chapter 1 – Young at Heart

            The man's pudgy cheeks lifted as he smiled and a glint of triumph shone in his eyes.  A number of people were watching him and his opponent, interested, as their battle of wits continued.  This isn't to say, however, that their activity was particularly intriguing.  Had the newcomer not made such an interesting claim before challenging the local champ, very few eyes would be fixed upon the game.  As it was, there were about, perhaps, 5 people watching.  Quite impressive, actually, since most of the people in that dimly lit bar were too drunk to see 4 feet in front of their faces.

            _Yes!_  The champion congratulated himself and heightened his ego.  _I've got this in the bag!  Even if this guy _is_ who he claims to be, he won't be able to stand up to this!_  He grinned very broadly, displaying, much to his challenger's distaste, that he was missing one of his incisors.  "Remember, you said that this was the last one; the deciding round."

            His opponent yawned, making no attempt to conceal his lack of interest.  "Yes, yes," he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes and pushed some of his silver hair out of his face.  "Hurry up and go through with it."

"Ah ha!" the pudgy champion announced, laying his cards down upon the table that had probably not once been cleaned since its purchase.  "Read 'em and weep!  Flush!  Now, pay up!" he demanded, still grinning.

            The challenger extended his arms as far as they would go over his head, letting all in the room behold his black sleeves, with the gold embroidering near his hands.  He set his cards face down before him.  With his eyes closed and with the air of one who has done something a tad intricate far more times than anyone else in the room, he moved his right hand over the cards.  Dipping his index finger down briefly, he flipped each card so that it's face showed, slightly grimier from having touched the filthy table.  "Royal flush," he mumbled, making it clear that he was struggling to stay awake.

            The previously smug-looking man stood up abruptly, mouth hanging open as he looked over the cards.  "Wha…  Buh…  Gah…" he said, with some effort, as a number (which happened to be 2) of the spectators, impressed, looked at the victorious visitor, who was standing up.  "Err…  Uhh…" the overweight man continued his attempt at speech while the other man began to walk out, without a word.  At last the man succeeded, "Umm…  Wait!  Don't go!  I'm sorry I didn't believe you were the real Wandering Gambler!"  He grabbed a small leather pouch off of the table and pushed his hand towards the gambler, who had paused near the door.  "Here's the 500 G you won."

            The gambler turned around and looked at the man and his small bag, containing the fifty 10 G pieces.  _Too far away…_  He turned again, mumbling, "Not worth it," as he walked out of the bar.

---

Later that day, Setzer lazily leaned over the Falcon's steering wheel, as he gazed out over the gorgeous blue skies and ocean.  He briefly recalled the recent good thing he had helped to do, as the sky had not long ago appeared as a nearly eternal sunset, while the waters and the lands seemed to at all times be tinged with blood.  It was, after all, what was bothering him.  He decided to admit something to himself, despite how much he didn't want to and how hard he had resisted doing so for the past week.  "I'm bored out of my mind!  There.  I've acknowledged it."  He continued gazing out over the airship's helm for a few moments, as though waiting for something.  Nothing.

He felt let down, though he couldn't be certain why that was.  _What, did I think the feeling was just going to leave when I knew it was there?_  He felt a tad embarrassed for even hoping that would be the case.  Then he felt very relieved that only one of his assistants was on the vessel, sleeping in his quarters.

He sighed.  _Hmm…  I haven't opened the Falcon up in a while…  Let's see what she can do again._  Perking up slightly, he handled the task of steering his vessel with more enthusiasm as it rapidly picked up speed.  Setzer smiled as he felt the wind in his face, blowing his hair and coat back.  After about 10 minutes of racing about the skies faster than any other person could hope to, he slowed to his previous, more leisurely pace and, at almost the same rate, his enthusiasm lessened.

He knew what the problem was: nothing thrilled him any more because his life had no purpose.  When he was younger, he wasn't sure what had kept him going.  After he convinced his father to pay for the "small, engineering project" that had created the very small Crow, the world's first airship, a purpose hit him out of the blue: making a very luxurious craft to help him indulge his love of gambling and other games.

He was content with life as he designed the Black Jack and eagerly waited for its construction to be complete.  Then, he lived for the many extravagant parties he held aboard his airship.  _Then I met Daryl…_

Unfortunately, his reminiscences were suddenly interrupted as time seemed to come to an abrupt stop around him and he was bathed in a very bright, white light.  Squinting into the brilliant luminescence, he asked, "What in the--?" realizing half way through that he was alone on the deck.

He then heard an absolutely horrible racket, in which he could just vaguely make out a deep voice speaking, though he heard none of the words.  Setzer got the impression that a person was shouting into a very loud gust of wind, louder, even, than what he recalled hearing as he climbed the mountainous area behind Narshe, alongside three of his former companions.  He realized, suddenly, that he could not recall who had been with him, but, closing his eyes from the brightness, he decided that it probably wasn't important enough to think about.

Eventually, the noise ended and he was greeted by a relative peace.  The peace was only relative because, while he no longer had to put up with that awful noise, the light was still as bright as ever and his boots were no longer touching the Falcon.  _Wait a moment…  That can't be right.  I'm imagining it._  He realized that he was not imagining it when he looked down and his eyes verified that he was, indeed, ascending.

He had put up with a lot in his life and, for the most part, kept his cool: the loss of Daryl, the discovery that he had been tricked with a two-headed coin, and the confrontation with one of the Goddesses, to name a few of his life's interesting and distressing events, most of which, he reflected, were recent.  However, as he could see the town of Tzen as a very small speck by this point, Setzer began fidgeting and screaming at the top of his lungs.  "Help!  Heeelp!  Somebody!  Do something!  I'll give you the Falcon!"

Even with his somewhat scattered mind, he knew he had just said something quite stupid.  "If someone's there, forget that last thing!  I'll give you…  Umm…" However, before he could finish his bargaining with the air, the light seemed to engulf him entirely and he blacked out.

---

Setzer woke up feeling quite disoriented.  His head throbbed and, while sitting up, he placed his hands upon it, grimacing and hoping he had just been dreaming and was now having a particularly terrible hangover.  _Note to self: lay off the drinks.  …  A little._  He waited until the pain became bearable before opening his eyes.  He closed them immediately, however, as the world was spinning around him.

After a few more minutes, he opened his eyes again and saw that the world seemed to have fixed its gyration problem.  He saw trees in front of him, but he didn't know what variety they were.  They appeared to be maple trees, but, the last time he had checked, maple trees weren't as large as the ones before him appeared to be.  The leaves were vibrant and green, which surprised him.  _I thought it was autumn…  Or have I just not checked lately?_

He noticed that he was lying on what seemed to be a dirt road.  Grimacing at getting his clothes dirty, he stood up and dusted off the back of his pants.  Pleased that the dirt was fairly powdery and not at all moist, he decided to look around.  The road extended in two directions: to his left and to his right.  He removed a coin from his pouch, which, if he wasn't mistaken, seemed larger than before, flipped it high into the air, then, seeing the profile of King Philip Ren Figaro upon it, nodded and began walking to his left, deciding that it was the least he could do, as he had no clue where he was.

He walked for a few minutes before noticing a few odd things: first, he was not moving as fast as normal, although his pace was the same; second, he felt quite a bit lighter than he had when he was on the Falcon; and third, his hair seemed quite a bit shorter.  He paused, then lightly slapped himself in the forehead as he realized something else: he had not done a thorough search of his belongings.  Fearing that he had been robbed, he began searching the small pack he always carried with him.  _Let's see…  Deck of attack cards, a few Tonics, a few Potions…  A buckler?  When did I put this in there?  And where are all of my other things?_

After a few minutes of running back to the first area and searching frantically, he found none of his missing objects.  He decided to check a few other things on his person and realized, with horror, that all of the expensive equipment that he had purchased during the adventure and that he had continued to put on in the mornings, out of habit, was missing.  It explained his lightness, but didn't cheer him up at all.

"Thieving bastards!" he shouted.  All of his other thoughts were immediately interrupted by a glaring one that now pushed itself to the forefront of his mind: _Dear lord…  My voice…  When did it get so… high-pitched?_

He didn't have long to dwell on this, however, as he heard footsteps coming from the direction in which he was walking.  He placed a hand on his cards, preparing to fling a few, should the approaching party be hostile.  He relaxed when he saw a very worried looking brown-haired woman in a red dress dashing towards him.  He became more alarmed, though, when he saw that she seemed to be a giant.

"Tommy!" she shouted, sounding both relieved and enraged at the same time as she dropped to her knees before him, bringing her head just below his.  Setzer blinked at her, unable to respond as she paused before him and, between breaths, demanded, "Tommy, why do … you always try to … run away?  Don't you like living … with your Mommy and Daddy?"

Setzer was confused.  If she hadn't been too busy trying to catch her breath, the woman would probably have heard the gears slowly turning around in his head.  _Why would she say that to me?  She looks nothing like my moth--  …  No.  No.  No!  This is idiotic!  I refuse to accept that…  I'm…_  He couldn't bring himself to even think it without definite proof.

His 'Mommy' seemed to realize something new herself, now that she was breathing comfortably again.  "Tommy, where did you get those clothes?" she asked, somewhat worried.  Her eyes moved down, then up him and, upon reaching his head, she screamed.  "My god!  What's happened to your hair!?  Why is it silver!?"

Setzer knew he had to react somehow, as much as he would rather just say nothing and melt away.  "Umm…  I don't know…" he began, feeling embarrassed at the sound of his voice.  After a moment, noting her more worried expression, he hastily added, "Mommy."

She hugged him.  "Well, it doesn't matter if those fairies got to you and changed you!  Your Mommy and Daddy will never stop loving you, Tommy!"

"I…  I know…  Mommy…  I…  Love you, too."

"I know, my darling," she said, relieved and standing up.  "Just promise you won't play around here any more.  Do you promise?"

"Umm…  Sure, Mom.  I promise."

She smiled, stood up, and started walking back the way she had come.  "I'm glad to hear it.  Now, come along.  It's getting late.  If the fairies are even coming out in the day, now, I really don't want you here at night."

Wordlessly, Setzer followed.  _How am I going to get myself out of this mess…_

---

Author's Notes: 

It's been WAY too long since I wrote a fanfic.  To those of you who enjoyed The Heir of Zeal's first 10 chapters, despite all the time that has passed, I haven't forgotten about it and will, someday, write more of it.  However, I just had an urge to write something, and, after reading Rainhawke's Hawk and Fox (a very, very nice Suikoden II fanfic, in case you weren't aware) I felt like starting this.  So, I'll just say now that many elements from that story have been borrowed.  Well, I hope that this fanfic turns out great, so, until Chapter 2…


	2. Chapter 2: The Beast Within

Saviors

**Chapter 2 – The Beast Within**

"Alright, ya scurvy dog!" bellowed the bearded man, garbed in a very stereotypical pirate captain's clothing.  "Round up all the landlubbers and get 'em up here.  Then, have 'em empty their pockets!"

"And don' try anythin' funny!" his first mate, dressed in an equally stereotypical pirate's outfit, added.  "Otherwise we'll see ya walkin' the plank!"  He made a threatening jab at nobody in particular with his cutlass.

            The captain of the ship that was being boarded, a skinny, white bearded old man, cowered, but motioned to his crewmates to work with the pirate crew in gathering the passengers.  They sighed and began heading towards the passengers' cabins, along with the smirking pirates.  He clearly wasn't pleased about it.  _Cowards…  This is a pleasure cruise.  I'd be shocked if even one person on board has the slightest idea how to defend themselves._  As it happened, there was one person on board who knew how to defend himself **very** well.

---

            "Umm…  Sir?" a nervous sailor began, knocking on door 14, "Would you please step outside?"

"Yea!  And bring all ya' money and stuff!" the pirate chose to add, killing any chance of catching the occupant by surprise.

            Without a word from within, the door opened, and a very confused muscular man stepped out of the room, to find a cutlass thrust at him.  He instantly sidestepped the blade, before punching the surprised pirate in the face.  The sailor's eyes widened as the pirate went down.  "Oh… my…"

---

            "Huh?" the pirate captain asked as the blonde, muscular man ran towards him and promptly laid him out.  The pirate's first mate gawked at this, before sinking to his knees and begging to be spared.  "Ah'm sorry!  Ah'll never hurt anyone again!  Just don' hit me!"  The body-builder considered this, then smiled and said, "Alright.  I won't.  Can't speak for the sailors, though..." While the ship's crew bound the hands and legs of all the pirates, most of which were unconscious by that point, the man walked towards the captain, passing sailors who paused in their work to salute him.

            "Ah!" the captain exclaimed, seeing his approach and breaking away from a conversation with one of the sailors.  "I can't thank you enough for saving this voyage!  If there's ever anything I can do to hel— " 

"Well," the pony-tailed man interrupted, "I was going to ask you something earlier.  Think you could stop by Narshe's continent?"

"Hmm?" the captain asked, surprised and somewhat shocked.  "Why do you want to stop by there?  Nothing but beasts and outlaws in that place."  He shook his head.  "No, I'm afraid I can't.  Too many of the passengers would complain if we stayed there for too long and I couldn't live with myself if I knew I abandoned someone near there."

The blonde man glared.  "No reward at all for the guy who saved your cruise, then?  It's not like anything would come on board, anyway.  Just stay off the coast.  I don't mind a swim."  The captain considered this for a moment.  "Hmm…  Well, it goes against my better judgment, but…  I guess a brief stop wouldn't be too big of a problem.  Just try not to stay more than an hour or so."

---

Sabin approached the small cottage in the woods with a grin on his face.  _It feels like so long since I've seen him…  I should have stopped by right after we got Kefka.  Oh, well.  I can still invite him to that party at the castle._  He knocked on the door.  "Master Duncan?"

"Sabin?  Izzat you?" asked the familiar gruff voice from within.  "Yeah," Sabin replied.  "Ahh.  Well, what're you waiting for?  Come on in, my boy!"

Sabin walked in… and was nearly hit in the face by his master's fist.  His smile widened, both at the fact that he could avoid his master's strike and that the old man was just as he remembered.  The gray-haired man whose eyes still sparkled with life smiled back at Sabin, as he saw his fist, caught in his pupil's hand.  "I'm glad to see you've improved so much," he said, chuckling a bit.  "If I could get you with that as easily as that last time at the Sabil Mountains, I would have kicked myself for not going after Kefka myself!"

Sabin laughed along with him, then released his instructor and sat down where Duncan indicated.  "So…" Duncan began, "Did you just want to see your master's face, or was there a real reason you stopped by?"

"Ah."  Sabin remembered the reasons he had come.  "Right.  You said my training was complete with you, but—"

"And so it is.  I can tell that you've mastered all of the Blitz techniques that I could teach you.  I'm very impressed about that, by the way: you mastered them all long before I did.  But your training in the style is not quite finished.  You must gain greater wisdom of the world, and to do that, you must awaken the beast the slumbers within you."

"Hmm?" Sabin asked, surprised.  He had never heard his master speak in metaphors before.  "And… how do I do that?"

Duncan chuckled.  "You'll find a way.  It may not take you too long to do so, either.  When I was teaching you the Bum Rush, I could feel the beast stirring, greatly aiding you in combat.  However, your beast appears to be quite lazy, as not even seeing the Bum Rush made him wake up.  Still, even with the batting of its paws it did while dreaming, I had to struggle with all my might to avoid your more direct blows.  One of those would have taken even me out of commission for a while.  If you could fully rouse it and learn to control it, the power at your disposal would be… beyond phenomenal."

"…  OK…" Sabin said, not entirely sure how he should feel about this discussion.  "But, Master, why do you say it like that?  You're talking as though it were actually a living thing within me.  And if I was tough enough to stand up to Kefka, why would I have to get even stronger?"

Duncan remained silent for a moment.  "I can't answer your first question with complete confidence.  All I can say is that, when I sparred with you last time, I got a feeling that I had never felt before.  A beast within you is the only real way to describe it.  As for why you would need to become that powerful…  Do you remember what I told you the first day we began training?"

Sabin nodded and recited the advice from memory, "No matter what, there's always going to be someone stronger than you.  But that's no excuse to give up.  Just keep honing your skills until you become even stronger than them.  Then you'll be ready when someone more powerful than them comes along."

_Not the most eloquent of my speeches, but it gets the point across._  Duncan nodded and continued, "Precisely.  Suppose someone even more powerful than Kefka appears.  I know it doesn't seem possible, but don't you want to be ready to defend this world if that should happen?  Besides…  You're the only other person who fully knows the Blitz style now.  When I pass on, which may be soon for all I know, you'll be this style's Master.  I want you to teach your pupils all that you can, so that, even if evil doesn't rear its head in your lifetime, they will be prepared."

Sabin nodded.  "I probably should have guessed that.  …  So…  How can I…" he felt a tad silly saying it, "… 'Awaken the beast within?'"

"Go meditate.  I'm sure that the answer will eventually reveal itself to you if you meditate for a while."  He stood and stretched a moment, as did Sabin.  "Well, goodbye Sabin, and good luck.  I… have a feeling I won't be seeing you for a while."  He patted the young man, who was like a son to him, on the shoulder.  "Make me proud, ok?"

"I…  I will… Master Duncan," Sabin said, feeling sad as he headed towards the door.  "Goodbye."

Before he had gotten more than two steps outside of the house, he hit himself in the forehead.  _Damnit!  The party!_  He ran back inside.  "I almost forgot!  My brother's throwing a party at Figaro castle in a few days.  I'd… like it if you could be there…"

Duncan smiled at him, then, after a moment, chuckled.  "You'd have to get really dressed up to attend, right?"

"Umm…  Yeah, I think…" replied Sabin, who hadn't really thought about that.  He suddenly thought he might hate going to the party.

"Then I'm afraid I can't go.  I don't have any suits that would work and I wouldn't let you pay for anything for me."

Sabin felt slightly disappointed, but understood his Master.  The two of them said nothing for a few moments, then chuckled as they were both struck by an amusing thought, which they simultaneously voiced: "You wearing a suit!"

---

Sabin felt like an idiot.  He had been meditating in the Sabil Mountains for over a day.  And he didn't even really know what he was supposed to be focusing on.  When he had done it with Duncan and Vargus, there seemed to be some kind of a purpose, because he knew what to do.  When he was working on how to perform un-mastered Blitz techniques with the group or when wandering the world alone, he had had some idea of what to go for, as he could recall what Duncan had told him when they were demonstrated.  

_For all the insights I'm getting, I might as well be jumping up and down in South Figaro wearing a chicken costume and shouting about the local bar's new dish!_  He then opened his eyes as he imagined that thought.  _…  I've been by myself for too long…_  He stood and stretched the legs and arms he hadn't moved in hours.  He looked at the full moon in the sky and realized how late it was.  He felt obligated to go to the party the following day, thanks to his brother's insistence.  He thought he should get some sleep, but he wanted to feel **something** before he left the mountains.

"Just give me some kind of a sign!" he shouted, alarming a nearby mountain goat, which hopped away in fright.  "Geeze…  I'm losing it…  Do I really expect the world to make some divine light shine on me and give me a clue?"

Irony was in the air as he found himself bathed in a white light.  "…  Umm…  This is new."  He soon noticed that his feet were no longer touching the ground, which caused some panic, but he managed to maintain his cool, freaking out only slightly when he noticed that the fleeing goat had frozen in mid-hop.  "OK.  Remain calm.  Time has frozen, you're floating into a lot of light against your will with no idea what the hell is going on and you're completely alone.  You've seen worse.  …  Wait…  No…  No, you haven't.  …  …"  _At least Cyan and Shadow were with me on the Phantom Train…_  He then began letting any who could hear him (in other words, nobody) know exactly how much profanity he could levy at some disembodied force that was abducting him via a white light.  His shouting was cut short as the light engulfed him and he lost consciousness.

---

Sabin woke up feeling very, very strange.  His head throbbed and, well, so did his entire body.  He also a little hot, but it wasn't particularly noticeable; especially when compared to everything else he was feeling.  He was lying on his stomach with his legs and arms out to his side on what felt like a cold, marble floor.  He felt slightly alarmed that he felt… as though he were naked, but decided to focus on the more pressing issues.  Such as what had happened and where he was.

After a moment or two, without opening his eyes, he tried to pull himself onto his hands and knees.  He thought something was odd, as he should have felt both his feet and knees on the ground, but he only felt his feet.  He also seemed to be on the tips of his toes.  At the same time, he became aware of something… odd behind him.  He couldn't explain how it felt and thought he'd have to see it to begin to guess what it was.

_What the hell is going on?_  He hoped that opening his eyes would improve things, but found that the world was spinning too much to be of any help, so he closed them again.  He waited patiently as the strangeness faded slightly and he seemed to feel… more natural.  Not normal, for reasons he couldn't yet discern, but he certainly felt more natural.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see that he seemed to be in a circular room, in which the ceiling, floor and walls all seemed to be made of polished marble.  Sabin noticed a small pool of water, reflecting the light of the full moon, in the middle of the room, as well as an open window that led out onto a balcony on one side of the room and a door-shaped hole in the wall opposite it.  _Looks like I wasn't out that long.  No idea how I got here, though…_  He tried to stand, but found that his arms and legs weren't responding properly.  He could briefly push himself up onto his legs, but he soon found himself on his hands and feet again.  Also, the weird… thing behind him seemed to be moving in what could be called an agitated manner.  _…  OK…  Getting a tad freaked out here…  Maybe a look in that pool will make things clear._  On all fours, he walked over to the pond, feeling disturbingly natural all the while, and peered in.

He stared at the face in the pond, trying to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.  _Well, that explains a lot._  He saw a blonde furred tiger's face in the water, with black stripes running along the side of its head.  He wondered why exactly he had a tiger's head and, obviously, a tiger's body as well, but knew that the key to figuring it out lay in the origin of the strange light.

_First things first: I need to get used to this body._  Everything felt natural, but he wasn't accustomed to walking around on all fours yet.  _I don't think it'll be that hard to get used to._  A thought occurred to him and he was confident it wouldn't work, but thought he might as well give it a try.  He opened his mouth, briefly noting how different his tongue and his now very sharp teeth felt, and attempted to say, "Hi."  As expected, he heard a very inhuman cry come from his throat.  _Looks like speech is out of the question.  Oh, well.  I usually just let my fists do the talking, anyway.  Natural claws should be interesting to try…_

With that thought in mind, he looked down, seeing his paws for the first time.  He focused on extending his claws and they came out with the greatest of ease, looking more dangerous than most of the claws he had used as a human.  With another thought, they retracted.  He looked back at the pond and saw himself grinning, which looked a tad peculiar to him, but he was confident he would soon get used to it.  _That feels really great.  I can't wait to test them out._  

Deciding to get used to his new form, he began pacing around the room, stumbling only a few times.  After making a few laps, he felt confident in his new body, happy that it felt very sleek and powerful.  He then began extending and retracting his claws until he felt he had mastered that aspect of being a tiger, then took a few practice slashes in the air.  He found that trying to swipe as a tiger was a different from doing so as a human.  He could feel a certain natural strength and speed accompanying his slashes, which he found delightful.  _Oh, I could definitely get used to this._

It occurred to him that he seemed to be taking his sudden change into an animal quite well.  _I wonder how Big Brother would cope with this.  …  Heh…  He'd probably whine about how hard it would be to hit on girls._  He chuckled inwardly at the thought of Edgar, as an animal, trying to seduce a number of women in a bar.

Shaking that amusing thought from his mind, he decided to have a look around his area.  He padded through the doorway, entering a long hallway with a number of closed doors, which Sabin realized he would have a lot of trouble opening with his paws, and a lot of artwork, mirrors and windows along the walls.  As he went, a thought occurred to him.  _Hmm…  I wonder if this is what Master Duncan meant about awakening the beast within…_  He thought for a moment more.  _Nah.  I doubt he meant it this literally.  Oh, well.  If he did, maybe I'll try to figure out how to get it 'back to sleep' later.  For now, I'm going to see what it can do._

Satisfied for the moment, he continued down the hall, hoping that a chance to test his new capabilities would present itself soon.

---

Author's Notes:

            ^_^o I have a confession to make: after I wrote the first version of this, I showed it to a friend of mine who knows Final Fantasy VI very well, and he informed me that Sabin was really, really out-of-character.  Apparently, Sabin as he was during the Figaro Castle scene with Edgar is how I remember him best, which simply doesn't suit him most of the time.  I'll try to improve that in the future, so he isn't as wishy-washy as he originally was.  Anyway, you can look forward to another Sabin chapter in #4.  The next chapter lets us check back in with Setzer.


	3. Chapter 3: They Grow Up So Fast

Saviors

**Chapter 3 – They Grow Up So Fast**

            Setzer smiled cheerfully at his parents as he helped himself to a second drumstick.  After taking a bite, savoring its taste and swallowing, he looked at the woman across from him and said, "This is really great, Mom.  You should eat some more."  She realized, again, that she had been staring at him instead of eating.  As though there was nothing on her mind, she smiled back at him and returned to her dinner.  The black-haired man in the red tunic seated next to her, however, never took his eyes off of Setzer for a moment.  _Geeze…  He's hardly even blinked!  Is it really that hard to see I mean no harm?  I'm a little kid for crying out loud!_  "Dad, why don't you eat something?" Setzer asked plainly, trying to relieve a little tension, "Mom really did a really good job tonight."  The man narrowed his eyes at Setzer and said coldly, as he pushed his glasses up, "Because I'm not hungry, _son_," with an emphasis on the last word that Setzer was certain he didn't like.

            Setzer had earlier been very distressed upon realizing that he had been reduced to a child, but, before long, he accepted that fact.  In fact, he was enjoying himself.  _I wonder how many new games kids have thought up since I was that young…  Err…  This young…  Heh…  I can't imagine why this alarmed me so much.  _As the 'family' seemed to be having their meal in silence, he thought about the scene that had taken place between the three of them when his 'mother' first brought him to the two-story house.

---

            "Richard, I'm back with Tommy," the woman called to her husband, after walking home in silence and opening the oak door.  Setzer, still coming to grips with his situation, followed her inside, a few feet's difference between them.  He heard a man's voice from within say, as he came closer, "You found him that quickly?  If you've got such great news, why do you sound so unhapp--" He paused at the sight of Setzer.  Setzer felt very uncomfortable, as time seemed to stand still for a moment.

            "Gertrude…" he began, quivering and looking several shades paler than he had a moment ago, "Why is Thomas…?"  After a moment, Gertrude replied, "I think the Fairies did it to him.  But I thought they only came out at night…"

            There was silence for a bit longer, before Richard broke it, sounding unsure of how he should be acting.  "Why don't we all… sit down and talk about it in the living room."  He walked through the open doorway he had come through, then Gertrude and Setzer followed wordlessly.  Setzer took a moment to look around the room, noticing a number of bookshelves along one wall, a desk with a number of oddities and expensive objects upon it nearby, a fireplace, an exquisitely woven blue rug, and five chairs in the corner.  _Kind of a nice, tidy room…_  Richard moved one chair to one side of the desk, then moved two others to the opposite side.  He motioned for Setzer to sit in the lone chair, while he and Gertrude took the other two.

            Setzer took his seat, then wondered what was coming next.  Richard took a breath, then pushed his glasses up as he asked, "Thomas…  Tell me…  What exactly happened before your hair and clothes… changed?"

            "Umm…" Setzer started, once more disturbed at his new voice.  _Alright.  Just… try to make a convincing bluff._  "Well…  I was walking through the forest earlier.  Things were pretty normal, until I saw this… umm… very little mouse-sized woman in a blue dress with wings that resembled a dragonfly nearby."  He realized he had made a mistake when they raised their eyebrows.  _Gah…  OK, just try to avoid details from now on…  And you're a… child now.  Talk like it!_  "Then I went to play with it.  It was really pretty and shiny.  Then I saw all this bright light and all I could see was black… When I woke up, my hair was silver.  …  And my clothes were… like this."

            They two of them looked at him for a moment, then whispered to each other.  "Mommy and Daddy need to talk outside, Tommy.  We'll be right back, though.  Just wait until we're done talking."  They stood without waiting for a reply, then walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.  Clearly, both presumed he would be a good little boy and do as he was told.  Setzer grinned at their naivety as he crept over to the door, glad that his body was lighter than his older one: he knew from Gertrude and Richard's walk to the door that the floorboards were prone to squeaking and creaking when they bore too much weight.  After he pressed his ear to the door, he learned that Gertrude didn't seem to be as good about speaking in hushed tones as her husband, so Setzer heard her words far more clearly than Richard's.  Gertrude whispered, "Doesn't it seem plausible?  The Fairies never explain the weird things they do in the stories and accounts.  And I've never heard of that kind of Fairy, but they can take on almost any shape."

            Setzer heard Richard say that they usually did "much … things."  He cursed himself for missing the adjective.  He then cursed himself again when, in cursing himself for the adjective, he missed what Richard had just called "irrelevant", and had to guess, correctly as it turned out, that he meant the fairies' lack of a set form.

            "But he's just a little boy.  If they could change his body and clothes, wouldn't they have made him some kind of a monster?"

            Setzer caught the words "fake", "plot," and "preparation" from Richard's speech.

            "I'm not so sure…  I know how you feel about Fairies, but even that seems a little far-fetched, if you ask me."

            Setzer didn't really hear Richard's statement, but guessed from his tone of voice that he had said, "Well, nobody asked you."

            Gertrude sighed and seemed almost exasperated, but continued, "The point is: what are you going to do about it?  Hurt him?  Kill him?  Suppose he's just our innocent boy!  Could you live with yourself if you did it and weren't sure?"

            He was silent for a moment, then Setzer heard the words "eye on him" and easily guessed that Richard was going to be watching him like a hawk.  From Gertrude's murmur of agreement, he gathered that the conversation was over, so he bolted for his chair and sat down, just as the doorknob was turning.  _Why do I feel like Locke all of a sudden?  Oh, well. I guess I'll have to pretend to be a normal kid for a while…  I was planning to, anyway, so that's not a problem.  I'll be fine as long as I act my age.  I'll probably have fun in the process.  Yep.  Things are looking up._  After they came back into the room and Gertrude told Setzer that "everything is going to be fine," they all went to have dinner, though Richard had a sour look on his face at all times and wouldn't stop looking at Setzer.  _Oye…  This is going to get old really fast…_

---

            Setzer looked at himself in the mirror of "his room."  _Hmm…  'Weird' is probably the best word for it. _ He had only expected to see himself like that in some of the portraits that his parents had made of his family.  Thus, to see a childlike version of himself miming all of his actions in a mirror was a peculiar feeling.  He had accepted what was happening before gazing into the mirror, but he couldn't have prepared himself for seeing undeniable proof before his eyes.  He chuckled at the absurdity of his situation.

            He thought that the boy in the mirror looked like an 8-year old, but wasn't certain.  He also didn't think that it really mattered.  He was a child and that was all that he cared about.  After dinner, Gertrude had told him to go to his room and wait for her to tell him a bedtime story.  He knew that he couldn't hear them from the top of the stairs, and he was certain that Richard was keeping an eye on the bottom steps, so creeping downstairs to eavesdrop wasn't an option.  Therefore, he had decided to get used to his room until Gertrude entered.

            _I guess it's lucky I'm short.  This room would probably be way too small if I were my normal size.  A lot of books here, too.  I guess getting bored won't be easy.  I don't think I've even heard of most of these._  He heard footsteps ascending the stairs, so he removed his shoes and socks, then hopped onto the bed.  He smiled as he felt how much softer it was than the beds at most inns.  _Ooh…  Feels great…_  Gertrude entered a moment later, smiling at him.

            "Alright, Tommy," she asked cordially, "What story would you like to hear tonight?"  Setzer considered this for a moment, trying his best to look like an innocent child trying to decide on one story amongst many favorites.  _Ahh…  Bluffs at Poker…  Is there anything you **can't** help me with?  Anyway, let's see…  What to say…  Ahh!  There we go!_  "Mom, could I hear a story about the Fairies?" he said, not even bothering to notice his strange new voice.

            Her expression notably changed to one of surprise.  _OK…  Maybe I've screwed up…  Let's just try to fix it up._  "I mean, a story about the Fairy I saw.  I just… want to know more about it.  Did it do stuff like this to other kids?"  _Good job.  Maybe she won't suspect you eavesdropped earlier._  She seemed to lighten up a bit.  "Oh.  Well, I don't think there's a story about that kind of Fairy.  There's never been a mouse-sized Fairy before.  The smallest one after that one is Li'l Blue."

            "Hmm…  Could I hear the story about that one?" he asked.  At this question, she chuckled.  "Why, you heard this just last night, Tommy!"

            "Umm…  Well…" Setzer trailed off for a moment as he thought.  _Crap!  Just… say it's your favorite story!_  "Well, it's just that Li'l Blue's one of my favorite stories.  I'd like it every night I ever heard it.  So, could I hear that one, Mom?" his voice sounding somewhat eager, though not ecstatic, as he asked the question.  She seemed to accept this and started smiling again.  "Alright, dearest.  I suppose it's a different change from telling the same story about Catton for a week, like you made me do once."  She cleared her throat, then began.

            "Once upon a time, many, many years ago, back when my grandfather was a little boy, there was a family of woodcutters, who lived in this very town.  On most days, the family's father and two sons would go into the forest, cut down some trees, then bring the wood back home at the end of the day – just like Mr. Finch, who's related to them.  They weren't rich, but they were happy, and they were very popular with everyone else in town.  Anyway, their lives were going along peacefully.  Then, one day, a bad man came to this town.  He said some things that nobody understood, then said some very strange magic words, and started setting the town on fire.  He was a bad rune-wielder, you see."

            Setzer had been getting very bored, very quickly with this story, but his ears perked up when he heard about the man who seemed to know magic.  _And she says 'rune-wielder'…  I guess that's what they call a magic-user, here.  And I guess that also means I'm definitely in some other world.  If somebody's actually able to use magic and they're talking about it like it's noth-- Wait…  What am I thinking?  This is a children's story!  It doesn't have to make sense!_  He then stopped thinking and decided to just enjoy the story.

            "Well, the family of woodcutters decided they had to try and stop him, so when he left and was walking through the forest, they came at him with their axes.  He laughed and said they couldn't hope to win.  Then, suddenly, a strange, glowing, blue creature, with big red eyes, floated between the woodcutters and the evil man.  He looked like a weak little puppy dog, with really stubby, weak legs, a weird mane like a cross between a horse's and a lion's, but scaly like a lizard's, and a long forked tail."  _Hmm…  Li'l Blue…  Why does that description seem so familiar…  Have I seen something like it before?_

            "Then, Li'l Blue glowed really brightly, and all the woodcutters and the evil man could see was blue.  When they could see again, Li'l Blue was gone, but the woodcutters were all had a blue glow around them.  The evil man didn't know what to do, so he tried hitting them with his evil magic.  The woodcutters thought they were all going to do, but a miracle happened.  A big, round, green, wall-looking thing surrounded them all, and the next thing they knew, the evil man was being covered with flames!  He screamed and, because the woodcutters were good people, they splashed water on him from a lake nearby and saved his life.  He was so grateful, he helped rebuild the town, then said that he'd make sure nobody he could help would ever hurt this town again.  Everybody knew that Li'l Blue did it, so that's why, in this town, everyone thinks of him as one of the few good Fairies.  And that's the…" 

She trailed off as she noticed that Setzer wasn't listening.  He hadn't heard a word she had said after she described how the 'evil man' was set on fire by his own magic.  _What Li'l Blue did…  Could it be…?_  "Carbuncle…" he whispered, then was snapped back to reality when he noticed Gertrude's very wide eyes and mouth hanging open.  "What," she said, sounding a little shaky, "did you say?"

_Something like **that** freaks her out a lot, too?  Great…  Luck, don't fail me now!_  "Umm…  I meant to say…  What is Carbuncle?  I just remembered that I overheard you and Dad talking about something called Carbuncle a while ago, and I forgot to ask you then, because I could tell you' be mad at me for overhearing and…" Again, she seemed relieved with his reply.  "Well, it's just that Carbuncle is the grown-up name for that Fairy, and Li'l Blue is the kid's name for it.  We know that you're clever enough now to be able to use Carbuncle, but nobody else in town is, so that's why we say Li'l Blue.  Naturally, when we were back in the city, everyone used Carbuncle, except around children, but…" She trailed off, with a nostalgic look in her eyes and Setzer knew that it would be foolish to ask any questions about it.

"Right.  I miss the city, too, sometimes.  Anyway, you're not mad at me?"

She smiled brightly.  "Of course not, darling."  She turned to the small clock near his bed and gasped.  "Oh, look at the time!  You go to sleep, okay, honey?"

Setzer smiled back.  "Alright, Mom."  He got under the sheets, waited for her to say good night, leave the room and close the door, then began thinking about what he had learned.  _So…  They seem to have Espers in this world…  I wonder if they have anything to do with why I'm here and a little kid…_  A sudden realization that something was jamming into his side broke his train of thought as he opened up his suit to look at the object, then found himself very happy.

_My slot machine!_  Earlier, he had completely forgotten to check the special pocket in which he kept it.  He smiled at it, then, childishly, which seemed appropriate to him at the moment, he started to play with it.  He wasn't willing it to have the bizarre, but useful effects that had served as its main form of use, over most of the previous year.  For the first time in quite a while, he was merely enjoying the fun that one could have with a slot machine as the fun that one could have with a slot machine.  He found the experience very refreshing, and, before he knew it, an hour had passed.  He put his slot machine away in a more comfortable place, then fell asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.

---

The next day was mostly uneventful: most of the early day consisted of people coming by to briefly gawk at and/or comfort him.  They seemed very nice and Setzer instantly took a liking to all in town, save a crusty old man by the name of Mr. Cruggles.  Setzer was pleasantly surprised by the reaction of the town's children, left to their own devices when the adults left to work on a festival of some kind, which was to take place later today on a hill, near where the children were playing.

They mostly seemed very jealous of his "new" hair, or very friendly about his situation.  _Heh…  That's a nice change from what I was expecting…  All the little kids going out of their ways to tease me about my hair color doesn't seem too likely.  I hope the they aren't doing that because my "parents" have had 'little talks' with their parents, though…  If so, though…  Oh, well.  Like before, there's nothing I can do about it._

The children soon put his fears to rest as they began playing Tag, Hide-and-Go-Seek, and other games that Setzer found himself loving.  They frolicked away a few hours in this fashion, then, it seemed, it was time for the festival.  All of the kids were called over to have a big dinner at a wooden table, near the larger table for the adults.  The food was even better than Setzer had enjoyed the night before.  _And there's so much of it!  I feel like I might actually be stuffed after this!_  Setzer could really put away a lot of food when he wanted to and it would never show, a capability he had never understood, but had always enjoyed.

After the meal, the kids were still tired from running around earlier, so Setzer proposed a solution: a card game.  He pulled out his deck of cards, and asked them, "So, do any of you know how to play Black Jack?"  One black-haired girl raised her hand shyly and Setzer smiled at the girl he had come to know during the day.  "Could you help me explain it to everyone else, Cassandra?"  She nodded and the children split into two groups.  Before long, everyone knew the rules of the game fairly well.

A number of adults, looking bemused, had turned to watch the kids' game.  They all got into a circle and Setzer acted as the dealer.  They played a number of short games, eliminating only those who busted or who received the lowest score.  After 8 of the original 10 had been eliminated, Setzer stared down Cassandra.  _Hmm…  She's a much better gambler than that hack I took out in Poker yesterday…  I wonder if today I'll actually face another person who can beat me at my own game…  Heh…  Wouldn't that be nice… Another Daryl…_

She took a look under her face-down card and a glance at the 10 of Diamonds that sat face-up on the table.  "I'll stay," she said, smiling.  Setzer nodded, looking down at his face-up Ace of Hearts and the Jack of Spades that he knew lay face-down next to it.  He smiled back at her, and said, "So will I.  So, what are your cards, Cassandra?" so interested in the game that he failed to notice a bizarre queasy feeling, as well as a few changes that nobody had yet noticed.

She flipped over her card, revealing the Jack of Hearts.  "Twenty.  What have you got, Tommy?"  Smugly, and completely overlooking the fact that most of the eyes in the village were staring at him, he turned over his card and announced, "Black Jack," noticing only after he had said the words that his voice sounded as it had for most of the past few years.  Surprised, and having alerted all in the town that he was now a man again, he looked himself over, felt his much longer hair, then buckled over slightly as he suffered from a bit of the nausea.

Silence filled the hilltop as everybody stared at him.  As beads of sweat slid down his face after he recovered, he grinned innocently and said to the much smaller children around him, "So…  Umm…  Who's up for another game?"

---

Author's Notes:

            This is, thus far, the only chapter of this fanfic in which I wrote a paragraph one weekend, then finished the rest of it one weekend later.  I doubt that lessened anyone's enjoyment (or lack thereof) too much, but…  I just thought I'd mention it, do to a lack of anything else to say.  Anyhoo, we'll be back with Sabin in Chapter 4, so, with luck, I'll have his character down better than I did with Draft #1 of Chapter 2.  Keep your fingers crossed!


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